- Author
-
Chaiken, R. F.
|
Divers, E. F.
|
Kim, A. G.
|
Soroka, K. E.
- Title
- Calamity Hollow Mine Fire Project. Part 4. Quenching the Fire Zone. (In 5 Parts)
- Coporate
- Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, PA
- Report
-
RI 8863,
1984,
18 p.
- Keywords
-
mine fires
|
coal mines
- Abstract
- The Bureau of Mines demonstrated a novel water-injection fume-exhaustion (WIFE) procedure for quenching underground coal fires and fire-heated rock as part of its Calamity Hollow Mine Fire Project. The Bureau's existing Burnout Control ventilation system was operated at a vacuum level just sufficient to exhaust the underground fire zone, and water was introduced into the mine through existing boreholes at a rate of 3 to 4 gal/min per borehole. The resulting steam and heated gases were exhausted from the mine, and this led to a rapid and relatively uniform cooling of the entire fire zone and surrounding rock strata. An advantage of the WIFE procedure is that the progress of the cooling process can be monitored. Measured exhaust temperatures decreased from 592 deg. to 162 deg. C (1,1000 deg. to 324 deg. F) during the 30-day quenching period. Energy balance computations suggested that 50 pct or more of the burning coal mass was extinguished during this period. Analyses indicated that cooling to 100 deg. C (212 deg. F) with possible complete and permanent extinguishment of the approximately 1-acre underground fire zone might have been achieved if the WIFE procedure had been extended for an additional 20 days. Recommendations are given as to how the WIFE procedure may be improved.